[Glyapaedia] When Rigs Fly

I suppose it's not much of a surprise anymore, but the piece that I bought at Toxic Catalyst was none other than the "Old Rig" contributed by Onell Design.

Matt Doughty perhaps explains best just how special this item is in his post on the Onell blog. In action figure lingo, this is essentially a hardcopy prototype of the Rig. Hardcopies and mock-ups are some of the most coveted items for vintage toy collectors since they provide key insight into the development process and are very rarely seen in public circulation (more commonly, you will pre-production test shots). When sold, these items can go for hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on production differences and condition. Granted the Old Rig is a prototype from a relatively new toy line, but it was pretty awesome to be able to just throw down some cash/plastic and buy it. Not something you would expect to see at an art show.

I have to say that the temptation to play with this thing is incredible, and I must remind myself over and over that I need to be a little careful with it. The resin joints are silky smooth, which enhances the Rubik's-Cube-like nature of the toy. I am a little curious as to how the limbs and waist are jointed, since they could not use the vinyl plugs. Post and hole perhaps? At any rate, I am now very keen on getting my hands on the production Rig to do a comparison.

Up close, it is abundantly clear that this is an engineering model and not some shmancy art toy. Paint is rubbed off on the bottom of the feet, revealing whitish urethane beneath. I can even see bits of fuzz embedded in the paint (I have fuzz from Matt's house!!!). Paintbrush swipes are evident on the green eyes and details. All of this makes me extremely giddy.

To hold something that is the end result of untold hours of labor and artistic consideration is, to say the least, humbling. In the immortal words of Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar: We're not worthy, we're not worthy.